by Victoria: Thank you so much to Random House Ballantine and Netgalley for the advance reader copy of this book. Wow. What a novel. It’s definitely given me a book hangover because I know the next thing I pick up will not compare. I have read a number of refugee novels over the past few years. None of them grabbed me and moved me like this. I feel like my eyes have been opened and I have an entirely different level of empathy and understanding (as much understanding as one can have sitting in my comfy couch in my middle class American life). The writing and descriptions are beautiful done, so vivid I could see everything. This is ironic based on the author’s stated goal of the book, explained in an afterword. I would give this all the stars x 10. Please read this book.
